STD Rates Decline, But Congenital Syphilis Rises
NEW YORK — New government data reveals that sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates among U.S. adults decreased last year. However, the incidence of syphilis in newborns continues to rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released provisional figures for 2024, indicating a third straight year of declining gonorrhea cases. Additionally, there’s been a decrease in adult chlamydia cases and the more infectious forms of syphilis for the second consecutive year.
But the situation is quite different for congenital syphilis, which occurs when infected mothers transmit the disease to their babies. This can lead to severe health complications for infants, including deafness, blindness, and bone deformities. Since 2012, reported cases have been increasing from around 300 to nearly 4,000 last year. While the increase in 2024 was less than 2% from 2023, experts argue that any rise is concerning.
Elizabeth Finley, interim executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, expressed distress over the ongoing rise in congenital syphilis, stating it signals inadequate protection efforts for pregnant women and newborns.
Last year, there were about 1.5 million diagnoses of chlamydia, 543,000 for gonorrhea, and over 190,000 for syphilis. Each number represents a decline from the previous year, culminating in a total of more than 2.2 million cases—a 9% reduction from 2023.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease researcher, attributes the overall decline in STDs, particularly among younger people, to a reduced frequency of new sexual partners. The drop in adult syphilis cases, in particular, is linked to increased use of the antibiotic doxycycline as a preventative treatment for certain groups, including gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have recently been diagnosed with an STD. The CDC reports a 22% decrease in primary and secondary syphilis cases last year.
Despite these improvements, the data indicates that the advancements haven’t yet extended to obstetrics departments. One factor contributing to this issue may be that only about 80% of pregnant women are being screened for syphilis, according to a recent CDC study.
